Happy (Belated) 2nd Re-Birthday to Us!

There was such a whirlwind of activity surrounding yesterday’s format flip news at Citadel’s Syracuse cluster … I forgot to take time to reflect on the second “re-birthday” of CNYRadio.com! February 22, 2008 was the day this site re-launched after nearly four years on hiatus. Today, a moment for thanks, and a look to the future.

Thanks Again!

As always, there are some very important people to thank as we enter another year of covering what’s happening in the radio biz throughout Central New York.

Once again, I’ll begin with a big thank-you to Scott Jameson, the creator of the original CNYRadio.com in 2001. Scott did a great job with the site during the four years he ran it. I would have never dreamed to begin a site like this from scratch on my own, but I certainly missed it once it was gone. Scott was very helpful when I asked if I could revive the site a little over two years ago. Even though some of Scott’s original features (like his “On the Air” comic strip) are irreplaceable, others like “Picture of the Week” continue to this day.

Second, a very big thanks to YOU, the readers and contributors to this website. Without your news tips, press releases, your help with the Station Wiki, or even just stopping by to read the latest stories — this site would be nothing. Once in awhile, someone points out how silly it is when I’m just one person, but I refer to the site as “we” or “us.” But it truly is a group effort — I could never hope to cover what’s happening at 100+ stations in four markets entirely by myself. If it weren’t for “us” — you readers and I — much of the content on this site wouldn’t exist.

Looking to the Future

The radio industry is always looking for ways to stay successful among changing audience tastes and emerging technologies… and in many ways, CNYRadio.com is doing the same thing. A successful website has to keep up with the demand of the audience. That being said, the door is always open for your comments — the good, the bad, the ugly — don’t worry about offending me.

Is there something you particularly like or dislike about the site? Something you want to see more of? Less of? Anything we could do better? Feel free to share your feedback anytime, with an email to cnyradio@cnyradio.com or by using the Contact Form. The form has room for your name and email, but you don’t have to provide them (just remember, I won’t be able to respond).

What About the Wiki?

The 2nd anniversary of the current CNYRadio.com is also the 1st anniversary of the CNYRadio.com Station Wiki. You’ll recall the original CNYRadio.com had an extensive database where you could look up various details about all the radio stations in our area. The Wiki was born out of the desire to bring that information back to the site — but also out of my desire to NOT be the only person with the responsibility to keep it updated. By creating the station database as a Wiki, rather than part of the “regular” site, all users have the ability to edit the content.

Again, thanks to all of you who’ve helped with the Wiki in some way, shape or form. Some of you have helped turn a blank station template page into a complete entry. Others have helped with minor edits, keeping station pages accurate through personnel changes, frequency shifts and other updates.

I’ve got some ideas to help improve the Wiki — just a matter of finding the time to get it done.

Right now pages are titled by call signs. This becomes problematic when stations change callsigns, because changes are required in several places throughout the Wiki. To simplify the process, I’m considering renaming the pages by market and frequency — for example, the page for “WNTQ” would be renamed “Syracuse 93.1 FM.” Call letters may change, but frequencies usually do not.

Eliminating the “schedule” listings on the Wiki pages. Most stations now have their full schedules listed on their website, so it’s redundant to list the schedule again on the Wiki. Rather than a complete list, the Wiki would simply provide a link directly to the station’s own listing. The only exception would be for stations that do not offer a program schedule online.

Do you have any other suggestions for improvement? Perhaps we can find a way to implement all the ideas together.

Final Thoughts

Thanks again for a great two years, everyone. It’s been a blast, and I hope we’ll continue for many more. Oh, and just a little over two days until the deadline for the next Picture of the Week…+ so if you have anything, send it in!